Evaluation of Archival Storage Conditions at the University Libraries of the Health Science Center in San Antonio

FAIN: PG-51340-11

University of Texas Health Sciences Center, San Antonio (San Antonio, TX 78229-3901)
Elizabeth Anne Comeaux (Project Director: May 2010 to September 2012)

The hiring of a consultant to conduct a preservation assessment and the purchase of archival supplies to better care for the university's institutional records, manuscript collections, and its library of over 5,000 medical texts dating from the 15th century to the present.

The Special Collections of the University Libraries of the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio houses the P. I. Nixon Medical Historical Library, a collection of rare and historical books on the history of the health sciences, and the University Archives, a collection of historical papers and audiovisuals documenting the history of the institution. The archives also houses manuscript collections of papers, photographs, ledgers, and journals of physicians practicing in San Antonio and Central and South Texas in the 1800's and 1900's. Materials are housed on three separate floors of the Dolph Briscoe, Jr., Library building. There is no humidity control other than air conditioning, and air conditioning/heating are turned off or down at night and on the weekends to save energy. This grant will support an evaluation of environmental conditions in the Special Collections through a preservation assessment and the purchase of environmental monitoring equipment.